Twice behind in Athens
Real Madrid needed a goal in stoppage time to beat AEK Athens 3-2 on Wednesday night and stay perfect in this season’s Champions League. Fede Valverde, on as a substitute after 66 minutes, supplied the winner with a ferocious strike that beat goalkeeper Brignoli at 90+2.
AEK made it uncomfortable from the start. Koita put the hosts ahead after 12 minutes with a thunderous shot Thibaut Courtois could do nothing about. Courtois had already denied Gacinovic with his foot, and he saved again from Jovic at close range before the half-hour mark. Jude Bellingham levelled on 32 minutes, finishing a Marc Cucurella cross with a back-heeled flick. A Bellingham goal had been ruled out by VAR for offside just four minutes earlier.
no renewal
Free for 2 weeks.
Mbappé answers his own mistake
The second half belonged to the home side for long spells. On 75 minutes Kylian Mbappé lost possession, Koita broke away and set up Pilios, who finished the counter to make it 2-1. Mbappé repaired the damage within three minutes, turning in a Denzel Dumfries delivery. He then hit the bar at 86 minutes after a Brignoli parry, before Valverde settled it.
Vinicius Junior captained the side and struggled to make an impact before José Mourinho replaced him on 82 minutes. Real finished with 70 percent possession and eight shots on target to AEK’s five, but they were never comfortable.
The result is Real’s fourth win in four league-phase games. It lifts them level with Paris Saint-Germain, who beat Villarreal 6-0 on Tuesday, at the top of the table.
Discover the rest of our Football news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply